SALT
by EnvelopesandCypressTrees
Summary: Robin finds a friend in an unusual place. rating is not accurate. Please review.
1. It's just her cat again

Chapter One

"I couldn't do this without you, Robin" Batman said casting a sideways glance at his partner who was lazily lounged in the bat mobile's passenger seat, Robin sat up straight and crossed his arms across his chest a stern, serious expression etched in his young face.

"Don't even joke like that" he pouted, Batman smirked and stepped even harder on the gas, as the sleek black car screeched around a corner the black suited boy said "This is the fifth time Mrs. Abigail's called to us, totally _dis_traught saying she's heard something in her attic…" The boy paused "AND MAY I MUST **KEEP** REMINDING YOU IT IS ALWAYS HER CAT?" The Batman chuckled and turned another corner.

"Mrs. Abigail is an old friend of mine, we owe her our protection…even if it just from a cat" Batman looked at Robin warily "and besides didn't you say you _liked_ Mrs. Abigail?" The boy wonder huffed sinking in his seat, throwing up his heels on the dash, "and Robin?" Batman said with little emotion

"Yeah, what?"

"Get your feet off the dash."

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

"Thank you boys so much" Mrs. Abigail swooned petting her cat, "I really should have guessed it was Oscar here, he's such a naughty boy, fraternizing with all the _she_ cats in my attic, I really should have him fixed, you know?" Robin coughed, and kicked batman under the kitchen table they were sitting at, Batman glared as his partner eyed the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Abigail" Batman said kindly snatching another cookie and standing; he cast a threatening glance at Robin, the boy wonder closed his eyes to hide the exasperated rolling, as he smiled and said

"Call us if you need us again" he thought _and__you__WILL__need__us__again_. Batman grinned obviously finding the response satisfactory and gave the woman a quick hug, Robin couldn't muffle his snort of amusement.

"It was great to see you again Martha" the dark night mumbled, letting go of the elderly woman, "we see each other real soon, ok?" the woman blushed and ran a fragile hand over her gray hair

"Is that a date?" she taunted, with a sly smile, Robin banged his head on the door several times

"Might as well be Martha, a fine looking woman like you" Batman smiled, as the woman blushed and mumbled

"Oh you."

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

**3 MONTHS LATER…**

Robin was busy helping Mrs. Abigail clean her house, it baffled him to see the old, dusty photographs and yellowed with age laces, the home had a faint smell of cat urine and Robin prided himself of spraying some febreez on her old red rug. Robin grumbled in exasperation as he dusted the shelves. Mrs. Abigail's strolled into the room with a coffee and sat in the lazy chair, keenly watching Robin work

"You are just kicking up the dust" she sighed in disapproval, "if you make more of a sweeping motion, more dust would get in the duster where it belongs…and not in my nose" Robin gritted his teeth, _Blast__it__all__Batman!__I__'__m__only__doing__this__for__you,__why,__why__do__you__make__me__suffer?_The old woman smiled and sunk into her chair "good, good" she approved before dozing off.

Robin was met with soft snores moments later; he continued dusting _why__can__'__t__Batman__do__this__himself?__Why__does__he__make__ME__do__all__the__house__work__while__he__off__beating__people__up?__I__should__be__out__there__…__NOT__STUCK__IN__HERE__…_

**-SMASH-**Robin while all his fury rambled around in his head accidentally knocked over a picture frame, it lay in fragments on the floor, the old woman woke with a cry. She gazed at the picture with sadness

"Dick, be a good boy and pick it up for me" she whispered with mourn, Robin stood still "Dick-" she began again

"How-how do you know my name?" he stammered, clutching his duster to his chest, she stood calmly and walked to the picture, kneeling and sweeping glass fragments into her hand, she smiled sadly

"Bruce and I as very close friends" she whispered picking up the exposed photograph, it was of a man Robin didn't recognize "did you think he was joking when he said that?" Robin stammered lost for words,

"Who are you?" he said sitting next to her picking glass from the awful, red rug, the woman smiled

"I am but a lonely woman, a widow, this-"she handed the boy the photo "-was my husband…I am Martha Abigail, Bruce's old grief counselor"

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

Robin stared in shock, as the old woman straightened herself and stared steely at him.

"There's a whole house to be cleaned…and me on my fragile bones couldn't possibly do it, so therefore it's up to you" and with a simple twirl of her skirt she was gone.

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**PLEASE REVIEW.**

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	2. Cookies

Chapter 2

Just because Martha was Bruce's old counselor didn't make Robin like her any more, after the shock had worn off and Mrs. Abigail began her bossy, lazy ways, he grumbled with annoyance and lugged heavy boxes up and down flights of stairs as she told him to.

"I've made lunch!" she'd call, and they'd eat silently, hours later Batman would peel up in his car and retrieve Robin from the inferno of mess.

"How was you day?" Bruce asked his ward as they sat at the Wayne manor later that night, Dick crossed his arms

"You should have told me she was an old counselor of yours" Bruce sighed and cupped Dick's face in his hand,

"She helped me cope with my parents deaths" he said bluntly, Dick looked away at the window next to him

"I really don't like her"

"Why?"

"We're so different; we're hardly alike at all, as so stubborn and pigheaded and…" Bruce snorted in amusement and shook his head; he put an arm around Dick. "I'm just glad it's over" They sat silently for a few moments before Bruce cleared his throat

"Dick…um, I'd really appreciate you going back there tomorrow" his ward turned sharply to glare at him

"Are you kidding me?"

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

Robin walked up the steps to Mrs. Abigail's house the next day with slouched shoulders, he rang the door bell. _Please__don__'__t__be__home;__please__don__'__t__be__home-_ the door opened.

"Hello Robin-" she opened the door wider and gestured him inside "-didn't think you'd be coming back so soon" she grabbed a vacuum and shoved it into his unsuspecting stomach, "you can start with the first floor"

**2****HOURS****LATER****…**

Mrs. Abigail came into the living room were Robin was cleaning the chimney; she smiled and silently watched, until Robin came out from the fire place, covered in a black soot. She chuckled and raised her eyebrows

"Dick, would you be a good boy and start the batch of cookies?" Robin grumbled, and threw aside his spade; it made a dusty patch on her carpet. Mrs. Abigail followed the dirty boy into the kitchen, "wash your hands" she ordered going to the refrigerator and snatching up some eggs, Dick did as he was told.

"You're not my mother" he grumbled, the old woman plunked the eggs on the side of the bowl, letting the yolks run down the steel sides. She gazed at him from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, were _is_ your mother, Dick, I don't think I've ever met her" Robin gritted his teeth and ripped open a stick of butter,

"She's. Dead" he snapped, throwing the butter in the bowl with a loud –**BLUNK-**. The woman frowned slightly,

"Why don't you like me?" she asked daintily measuring flour, he shot her a fake apologetic look, "are we took much alike?" his fake look switched to anger

"Just the opposite" he poured in some chocolate chips, she wiped her hands on her apron and looked at him crossing her floured hands over her chest, Robin cast her a warily glance "something about you makes me distraught" the woman smiled and pulled a cookie sheet out of her oven,

"Well get '_traught_, young man" Robin looked at her as a small smile escaped his lips.

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**REVIEWS ARE LOVED.**

**-envelopes and cypress trees**


	3. If I'm stubborn, you're pigheaded

Chapter 3

The next day Robin returned again, with just as much displeasure. She smiled, immediately suggesting his next chore to be cleaning the attic. He grumbled once again and trudged up the stairs, she followed with a few cookies from the batch the night before,

"You added too much salt, Dick" she said as she bit the cookie, Robin rolled his eyes and piled the old newspapers, strewn over the attic floor in a pile. She spat out the cookie "just how much did you put in here?" she asked sitting down on a crate,

"3 tablespoons, like YOU said to" she coughed and glared at him

"Teaspoons, young man, _tea_spoons" she set the cookies aside, crossing her legs, "salt is good in moderation, Dick" she said "remember this, salt is good in moderation, but when too much…it becomes bitter and unbearable" she glared at him, as he turned to look at her "too much bitterness" she said shaking her head and glancing at the cookies "what a shame."

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Robin came across, several spots of cat pee and dead mice. He wrinkled his nose and bustled on, cleaning the attic to a spotless luster. He came down the ladder, his nose burning from dust and cat urine, as the sudden fresh air slammed into his sinuses. He stumbled and pinched his nostrils shut; he breathed through him mouth as he adjusted to the change of air. He glanced at the stair case next to him leading down to the first floor; Mrs. Abigail was struggling to carry a heavy crate up them

"Let me help you" Robin said grabbing the crate, she tugged it back to her breast,

"I'm fine! I don't need your help!" she wrestled it from his grasp, Robin gritted his teeth and yanked it back

"Let me help you, Batman makes me come here to help you, so let me do my JOB-!" The crate burst open and the contents tumbled down the stairs, when they came to rest at the bottom, no one spoke.

"Umpff" Mrs. Abigail said in disgust "looks what you've done now" Robin's blood boiled

"You stubborn, pig-headed old lady! All I've done is try to help you…why do you make EVERYTHING HARD ON ME? Why can't you just let me do my job so we both never have to see each other again and be done with it?" Mrs. Abigail walked slowly to the bottom of the stairs and picked up the contents of the crate, which were a photo, overalls, a baby doll and an old record player.

"Why you stubborn, pig-headed young man!" she shouted up to him "All you done is help me! Why can't you let me do one thing by myself!" she carefully put the contents back in the box "do you remember what I told you?"

"No, and I don't care!" Robin yelled stomping down to her and glaring into her face

"Salt is good in moderation, but when too much…it becomes bitter and unbearable…you Dick, are too much salt!"

"You're still talking about those screwed up cookies?"

"No _cookie_ is screwed up, young man-" she huffed grabbing his arm and thrusting him into the kitchen "there is nothing wrong with the cookie, but its creator, the creator is the one that screwed it up"

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

They stood in the kitchen stirring 2 batches of cookies, Robin's a nice sugar cookie and while Martha beat her gingerbread; the two smells aromatized the room.

"So when did you get married?" Robin asked, their anger towards each other drifting away with each whisk. She smiled

"1961" she said thoughtfully "to a wonderful man, Corporal Luis Abigail, a service boy" she stopped stirring to wipe her brow "It's hard to believe that was 50 years ago" Robin weakly smiled,

"How'd he…ya know…pass away?" she glanced at him

"He was in the circus after the war" Robin's head whipped up in surprise, she smiled her eyes still on the batter "he was a ringmaster, so he said, but really he just sold concessions"

"So, how did he die?" Robin pressed, shaking the hand he used to stir, she sighed

"Cancer" she said it bluntly, but there was something that cracked in her voice, Robin could hear the grief in her voice,

"Hey look, about the box on the stairs I'm-"

"Sorry?" she interrupted, guessing. He stopped stirring and raised an eyes brow

"Actually I was going to say 'Curious about what's in it" she laughed and set down her bowl

"Stubborn kid"

"Pig-headed old lady"

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**-HINT HINT- REVIEWS ARE AHHH-MAZING.**

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	4. We're friends now, but I wish we wern't

Chapter 4

**2 MONTHS LATER…**

Robin walked up the steps to her porch a bouquet of flowers in his hand, he knocked pleasantly on the door, it was opened almost immediately by a very frail looking Mrs. Abigail, her appearance shocked him for a second, but he held out the bouquet anyways, she took them with a smile.

"Thank you, Dick" she said softly and smiled broader as he held out a bag of cookies, she opened the bag and tasted one, gesturing him inside "blech!" she gagged "too much salt!" he chuckled

"Again?" she gently placed the cookie back inside the bag. The remaining clean house, sparkled as she threw open the curtains. She noticed him looking around

"You did a good job" she said sitting down weakly in her chair, motioning to the house, "It's better than I ever remember it being" there was a silence, not awkward just thoughtful, as the soaked up their surroundings and enjoyed the company of each other

"I haven't seen you in a coupled of weeks, sorry, I've been busy"

"Batman running you ragged?" Robin laughed, and looked at his clasp hands

"You don't know the half of it" she moved her head from side to side softly

"So tell me…how's school?" he sat heavily on the oriental couch across from her and smiled warmly

"Its ok" silence "but how are _you_?" she weakly waved away the question and laid the flowers across her lap

"When I was Bruce's grief counselor I learned a lot of things" she said looking up at him "there is no feeling _good_ so to say, there is no feeling _bad_ so to say, he'd come in some days weeping his eyes out, some days it'd be like he didn't even know his parents died-"

"What did you say to him?" Robin asked playing with the fringe on the armrest

"I told him to talk" she said with a chuckle "not to keep it bottled up inside-" she looked up at him again expectantly "not to pretend as if they were still here, and if he was tough enough to take it on alone" Robin glanced at her,

"You told him not to run away" Robin said softly, the old woman folded her wrinkled hands

"I told him that salt is good in moderation, but when too much…it becomes bitter and unbearable…" she smiled "the grief he felt was too bitter for him to handle, after I told him that he disappeared"

"_Disappeared_? To where?"

"Don't know, but when I heard the news about the Batman early on, about the _dark__knight_ I knew it was Bruce…and instead of waiting for him to come to me…I went to him"

"Was he happy to see you?" Robin asked

"Not at first" Mrs. Abigail admitted with a laugh "but were you happy to see me when I called about my cat in my attic 5 months ago?" Robin shook his head softly, ashamed.

"But you kept coming back…as did I with Bruce"

+++++++++++YOUNG+JUSTICE+++++++++++

The room darkened as a cloud passed over the sun, Robin sipped the tea he had made for Martha and himself, enjoying the silence.

"You look so weak" Robin said with a blush "no offense" she wrapped both hands around her tea and smiled

"None taken my dear" she sighed "and I look weak because I am" she used one hand to pull a blanket over her lap; Robin walked over and helped her snugly wrap it around her shoulders.

"Are you sick?" Robin asked sitting on the carpet at her feet, the old woman looked out her window as the cloud finally passed by completely letting the sun shine across the room.

"Do you know why I kept calling about a _noise_ in my attic?" she quickly added "I knew it was Oscar" the cat stretched in the ray of sun basking his body, Robin shook his head his brow tense in thought "I was lonely" Martha admitted "you two were the only ones I could call to keep me company"

"What about your friends?" Robin asked "I see you talking to the woman next door through your window, what about her?" the blanket slipped a little as Mrs. Abigail set down her tea,

"She's gone sweetie, passed away about a month ago…all of my friends are too old, or too dead to come out of their homes…Bruce is all I have now" she reached down and brushed the teenaged boy's hair from his face "and you"

"You're like a grandmother to me" Robin said holding her hand in both of his "the one I never had" she smiled, worry etched in her old face

"What's wrong?" Dick asked at her obvious discomfort

"All this time I was trying to get you to like me" she said pulling back her hand "and now I wish you didn't" Robin pulled back in shock

"It wasn't an easy task" he joked "but, why, why not?" she tucked her hands under the knit blanket

"I'm getting so old, Dick, all I wanted was to know someone would grieve when I died, it's unfair to want you to grieve, but then again it makes me feel…_loved_, to know I'll be missed." She furiously wiped at a tear "and now that I love you, and I do, Dick, I do, you're like my grandson…now I don't want you to be pained, I wish I was lonely again"

"What are you saying-?"

"I used to want to die, I was so ready, but now that I've met you, I just want to live, I- I'm so scared, I just want to live" Robin sat silently as she wept; he stood and embraced her as she tried to keep the sobbing silent.

"You know, a dear friend of mine once told me it's bad to keep your sadness bottled up inside…" and with that she wept into his arms.

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**YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK…REVIEWS POR FAVOR.**

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	5. Every one I loved

Chapter 5

**1 MONTH LATER…**

Robin stood with his team at Mount Justice, Black Canary, Red Tornado and the rest of the Justice League were discussing a possible attack on Star city by the Injustice League later that afternoon. Robin's mind however was else where.

"They pose as a possible target-" Superman said in the background "we need to evacuate them immediately…" Robin's mind was on Martha Abigail, when he went to see her yesterday she had seemed so much stronger and that stern, bossy attitude was returning, it made Dick smile.

"If we move them there, there only going to put more people in danger" Wonder Woman was explaining,

"Well what would you do, you stubborn princess-?"

"You pig-headed moron!" Robin chuckled as it reminded him of an earlier argument, he glanced at the clock, 3:38 pm it read, he had promised to be over by 4.

**-Recognized****Batman,****B06****update-** all heads turned to the transporter as Batman materialized, for a second no one moved, Robin could read something in his face, sorrow, grief, terror, worry? Batman looked at Robin, and Robin looked back,

"R-Robin" Batman choked, his voice seemed to ring in the silent hall, "she's gone" still a deathly silence, Robin's mind flew trying to understand as suddenly Batman had crossed the room and threw himself around Robin, shaking with sobs. The Justice league and Young Justice exchanged glances, Robin pushed himself away

"Grandma?" he found himself saying "No, you-you're lying" Batman bowed his head, "No, NO, **NO!**" Robin screeched, tears soaking his face "You're lying, say you're lying, GODDAMMIT Bruce, tell me you're lying!" Bruce stumbled to his feet and embraced a shaking Robin,

"She loved you, she loved you, she loved you…" the man whispered, "she loved you more than anything"

"She was scared Bruce" Dick stammered "she was so scared" he hiccupped with sobs "she was my best friend"

"I know, I know" Batman muttered rubbing small circles on the boy's back, there was a terrible silence, all that could be heard were Robin's painful sobs,

"How did she die?" Robin finally asked burying his face in Bruce's chest,

"Cancer" he said bluntly, with the same grief of Mrs. Abigail's husband, when she had told him in the kitchen, "she'd known for months now" Dick breathed deeply trying to slow his tears,

Are you sick? Robin had asked sitting on the carpet at her feet, the old woman had looked out her window as the cloud finally passed by completely letting the sun shine across the hadn't answered he remembered, she had known.

"Why do every one I love, die?" he said with a teary expression, there was a sob from one of the members of the league at this, Batman let go of Robin and looked into his eyes,

"I'm still here, Robin" he said with a sad smile "I'll always be here"

"My parents said that to me once" there was a deathly silence, Batman pulled out an envelope unsure of what to say and handed it to the tear struck boy

"She left you this" and Robin took it before walking straight into the zeta transporter and disappearing.


	6. Yours Forever Dick,

Chapter 6

Dear Dick,

I know that I asked you to grieve when I was to pass on, but I realize now I don't need you to grieve to make me realize that you loved me and well…that I loved you too. You were my grandson, the one I never had.

I hope you forgive an old pigheaded lady when she says she's sorry for being selfish and for causing you pain, I bossed you around in the beginning, but I was testing you're salt, kid. And truth be told, you were a pretty bitter batch. But you succeed in doing something almost no one else could do…

You made me smile, as I as smiling even as I write this. I hope you can forgive me for hiding my sickness from you and no matter how much you hate to admit it, we are quite alike, Dick.

I am 65 today; you brought me flowers as if you read my mind and knew it was my day of birth. I tried not to express my joy as I held them to me, as I looked into your face and realized how blessed I was to have a friend like you.

I'm so proud of you, I even began telling people you were my grandson, not your identity of course, Batman would have killed me, just "that kind, sweet-hearted boy that takes care of me."

I still think you're as stubborn as I am and I know that even though we baked this recipe a hundred times, I'm sure you'll always add too much salt. Maybe you should just stick to being the Boy Wonder, and not the Boy Baker.

I know soon, I will never see you again. And that in it's self pains me to no end, but as a dear friend once told me "it's bad to keep your sadness bottled up inside…"

I'll say hello to your parents and tell them they should be proud of the boy the created together, I'll tell them all about you…I promise.

And I have nothing bad to say.

Salt is good in moderation, but when too much…it becomes bitter and unbearable… luckily I had you to help me measure.

Yours Always Dick,

(Grandma) Martha Abigail

Batman walked up and sat next to Robin on Mrs. Abigail's porch,

"How you doing?" he asked putting a hand on Robin's back, Robin looked up at the sky

"Fine, everything's going to be fine"


	7. Review Please

**OK, OK. I KNOW KIND OF SAD. BUT PLEASE REVIEW ANWAYS. HAD LOTS OF FUN WRITING IT AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS I DID. DARN, I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE, BUT I WISH I DID!**

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